


New Year's Eve

by super_madi



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Neighbors, New Year's Eve, Trapped In Elevator, slight craziness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 20:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13220193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_madi/pseuds/super_madi
Summary: This is what happens when the two strangers get trapped in an elevator on New Year's Eve.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of the elevator storyline from the film New Year's Eve (2011)

****_“Jughead you can’t just sit around and do nothing all day. It’s New Year’s Eve man!”_

_“No Archie. I already told you that this is my one day off and I plan on relaxing and doing nothing with my day.”_

_“Jug I got us a hook up for tickets to the party of the year. I’m not leaving you to brood alone in our apartment all night!”_

_“Sorry Arch. Maybe next year.”_

He hung up the phone before grabbing his laundry and headed to the room in the basement. He and best friend Archie live together in a two bedroom apartment in a complex of five stories. It wasn’t the nicest looking place but it was cheap. 

He walked out of his apartment and was met by a bunch of tinsel and banners with some form of ‘Happy New Year’ saying on it. He placed his basket on the floor and looked around at the decor. “ You have got to be kidding me.” He said aggravated. 

He quickly tore down the decorations hanging in the hallway. He threw them to the ground and left them there for the next person to clean up. He then went to the elevator and rode down to do his laundry. 

He returned about fifteen minutes later to find the decorations hanging back up in their exact place.

This just pissed him off. So he went into his apartment, dropped his laundry basket and grabbed a trash bag. He began to tear down the decorations again and threw them all into the bag.

He had never liked the idea of New Year’s Eve and according to their lease, they allowed to decorate the hallway. He didn’t care so much about that part but it gave him a solid reason to tear down decorations that someone puts up every holiday. 

 

He then went to the elevator to throw the crap into the dumpster outside. The building was fairly short so the elevator never took long. It was extremely unsafe but he didn’t care. 

 

As the doors slowly began to speak as they shut a hand stopped the doors. “Oh thank god.” She mumbled under her breath. She then leaned forward and press the first floor as if he hadn’t done that already. 

“Ah-hem.” She jumped at the sound of his cough, unaware their was anyone else in the elevator. 

“Oh uh hi.” She said awkwardly as she smiled at him. She looked down at his bag full of decorations and raised her eyebrow at him. 

“Yeah, I tore down the decorations. They were in my way and according to the lease agreement you aren't supposed to decorate the hallways.” 

“Not my decorations.” She said rolling her eyes. 

They stand together in awkward silence, him scrolling on his phone. 

The elevator suddenly jolts, and suddenly the silence is filled with the sound of the bell of a broken elevator. He realizes that the faulty has stuck again and they are stuck in the elevator.

“No, no, no. This can’t be happening! I have somewhere I have to be.” She panics and goes to the emergency phone.

“Hello? Hello? Hello?” She realizes that there is no dial tone or anything from the broken equipment. “This thing is dead!” 

“It doesn’t work.” He said calmly

“Well then call the super!” She said motioning to his phone still in hand. 

“He doesn’t work either.” He looked at his phone screen. He had no bars or WiFi. “No reception. Oh, you’re the new girl from 5B.” He said realizing why she was so surprised by the lack of working things in the building. She was cute, blonde with this girl next door vibe about her. Definitely out of his league, but that never stopped him from admiring.

“Why aren’t you more panicked right now?” 

“Eh I don’t really have anywhere I have to be.” He said sitting down on the bench along the back wall of the elevator.

“I’m gonna be late for work! UGH!” She said as she tried to get someone’s attention. It wasn’t going to work but she looked cute when she freaked out so he just sat silently.

 

-.-.-

 

She had eventually gave up and retired to the bench next to him. They had exchanged names and she had questioned his name but got the response of 'It's a lot worse than my real name.' It had been a few hours and no one had found them in the elevator, and probably wouldn't until after midnight. She sighed as she played with the rubber bracelet on her wrist, it was a calming method she had picked up in high school. Most people saw it as just another piece of trash but to her it was a reminder about her mental health struggles and kept her from digging into her palm. But she wouldn’t tell anybody that.

“Yep still no reception.” The beanie-wearing male spoke up. It had been about two hours since the elevator broke, trapping them together. He was cute in the kind of dark and moody kind of way but it somehow worked for him. 

“So how can you have nowhere to be?” 

“Isn’t it obvious? New Year’s is the worst night of them all. Totally amateur hour, people who don’t drink or go nuts all year suddenly go all Kayne on you. It’s like a war zone out there.” He said as is he judged 95% of the world in one statement. He was angry about something and it was killing any New Year’s vibe around him. She would not let him ruin hers.

“Its because they have something to be excited about, I have something to be excited about.” 

He sat up from the bench. “Oh who are you going to kiss at midnight. Oh, and its one big giant let down. That's the problem with New Years everyone builds up such high expectations that they are inevitably disappointed.” He had stretched revealing part of his stomach, she didn’t want to be caught staring at him so she moved her eyes up to his hands. They were hitting the ceiling grate giving her an idea.  

“Hey, do you think you can get through that ceiling hatch?” She asked with a new sense of hope. 

He looks up, “I am not spider-man.” 

“Clearly.” She then takes off her jacket revealing her deep red dress. It had capped sleeves and showed a lot more skin than her normal wardrobe but her best friend Veronica had basically forced her to wear it saying, ‘you are hot and need to show it off.’ From the corner of her eye, she could see him checking her out. She pushed past the thought of him watching her and began to talk out loud.  “If I can just climb right through there.” She then stood in front of him and motioned to the ceiling grate,“Lift me up.” 

He did and with ease. She knew she was skinny but he had to be hiding muscles underneath his flannel and dark colored clothing. 

“Ugh, it’s locked! Oh, I have a bobby pin if I just-“ She said motioning to her purse. He then noticed her ‘All Access Pass’ for the Ball Dropping. It was provided to everyone who got behind the scenes tonight. 

“You’re a groupie?!? He said judgmentally. 

“Put me down.” His tone of voice was harsh and not needed, any opinion she had about him was suddenly negative. 

 

-.-.-

 

They had been stuck for about five hours now. She hadn’t talked to him since he called her a groupie. He didn’t know her or her story so he had no right to judge her. 

“I’m sorry I called you a groupie. But we’re stuck in an elevator together and you're really not going to talk to me?”

“Fine, we can talk. But as long as we are making assumptions about each other why don’t I give it a shot.” She stood up and began to let all of her steam and built up anger towards him. 

 “You grew up in suburban fill in the blank, went to la-de-da University. You even had enough of a drive to get a real job, and moved to Manhattan and bought a beanie. Now you think that just because you move somewhere it makes you cool, but the truth is, it doesn’t. You are just some want to be hipster who judges everything and is too afraid to take a chance on anything! And you know my guess is that this whole hated for New Year’s is from some boring as hell chick who broke your heart on New Year’s Eve in high school. So, am I close?”

“Suburban Ohio, I went to Penn State and I am an author.” 

“You write?” 

“Yep, and it was twice. When my mom left with my sister, leaving me with my drunk father and I was ten, and again when my girlfriend cheated on me, with another girl, when was in college.”

She all of the suddenly felt guilty. She had just yelled at him about judging people when she went and did the same thing.

“And I’ve had this beanie since I was eight.” He said in a more joking tone. “Cold coffee?” He said holding out his thermos. This just made her laugh.

 

-.-.-

 

The two of them began to talk about life and some of their favorite things like movies and books. She learned he was in the process of getting published. 

“What made you choose Penn State?”

“Halfway between my home in Toledo and my goal of New York City. 

“What about you, what’s your story.”

“I went to NYU and I am a backup news reporter.”

“So that explains the ‘All Access Pass’ then.”

“Yeah. I was suppose to report the ball dropping while the other reporters have the night off.  I was hoping the TV station would be impressed with my work tonight and give me a better position. But I don’t really know anymore.” She began to fidget with her bracelet again.  

“Well, I bet you are a great journalist.” He said smiling at her. 

She smiled back at him while blushing and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. 

 

-.-.-

 

“We’ve been stuck in here for hours. I can’t believe nobody has found us yet. Oh, we could have our own party!”

“I’m not really a party guy.” 

“Oh come on. Just put this on.” She passes him a hat which he put on hesitantly. “Great now imagine we are at a party and it’s almost midnight.” 

He watches her practically dance around the elevator with her eyes closed. 

“There eyes meet from across the room and then-“ she stops when she opened her own eyes and is caught by the sight of him. He stands up from his seat and is suddenly a lot closer to her. 

“Then what?” 

All of the sudden the elevator begins to move again. Betty backs away their spot and quickly throws her coat on.

The elevator hits to ground floor allowing the doors the finally open and release them. 

“See I told you I’d have it fixed. It only took eight hours.” The superintendent said. 

Betty quickly went to a nearby mirror to fix her hair and makeup. 

“Looks like you might still make your gig.” He said looking at his phone clock. 

“Yeah and that ball is going to drop with or without me there to report it, so I should really get going.” 

He nodded as she walked to the exit. “See ya.”

She was halfway out the door when she looked back at him “yeah happy new-“ she looked back and remembered his hatred and replied with a simple “see ya.” 

He then turned to the elevator and pressed the door close button. He looked down to see a rubber band laying on the ground. “Wait you forgot your-“ and the door closed before he could get out. 

He didn’t really know where he was going but he ended up at the security point of the ball dropping. He saw her off to the side setting up with a camera guy.

“Hey 5b.”

“Hey! How did you get in here?”  She smiled brightly towards him.

“Eh, it’s easy to get past security if you act like you belong.” 

“What- what are you doing here?” 

“Oh right. You left this on the elevator.” He held out the rubber bracelet to her. “I didn’t know if it was lucky or what but here.” 

“You came all the way down here to give me my rubber bracelet?” 

“Yeah also…”

“What?”

He placed his hands on her jawline then leaned in and kissed her. At first she was surprised but then moved her hands to his collar and kissed him back.

“You forgot that too.” 

“Betty you are on in 60.” The cameraman said bringing them back to reality. 

“Oh okay.” She said as she looked at Jughead.

“I’ll watch from over here.” He said pointing off camera. She smiled as he walked a few steps away. 

The cameraman began to countdown letting Betty know she was to go on. 

“This is Elizabeth Cooper reporting live from Time Square. We are less than ten minutes away from the new year. We will be live until then.” 

Jughead watched as she talked to nearby civilians and security about their New Year’s resolutions, their story, and information that was actually interesting. The ten minutes went by really quickly and Jughead watched as she came to life on camera. 

Soon the giant screen began to countdown from a minute bringing the crowd to a frenzy. He decided that he wanted to be her midnight kiss, not caring about the camera or however many people were watching. 

“Ten, nine, eight…” he smiled as she counted down with the rest of the east coast. He took a small step forward but remained off-screen. “…Three, two one, Happy New Year!” 

He then stepped forward and grabbed the smiling blonde girl by her waist. He then kissed her with passion as she held his jawline. 

Confetti was falling around the couple, as people in the crowd celebrated their way into the new year in their own ways. 

When the two finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his. 

“Happy New Year, Betty.” 

She just smiled back at him before leaning in to kiss him again, she didn’t hear when the camera was shut off or when the guy left. He obviously didn’t want to hang around any longer than he had to. 

They were interrupted by the buzzing of Jughead’s phone. It was Archie. He had the urge to ignore the call but he knew if he didn’t answer Archie would only keep calling. 

“I have to take this.” He said between kisses from the girl. She kept kissing him along his neck and jawline while he answered the phone. 

“Hello?” Jughead said into the phone, he then looked very confused before holding the phone out to her. “Its uh for you.” 

She stopped kissing him and unwrapped her hands from around his neck. She then took the phone from him with the same facial expression as him. 

“Hello?” 

_Betty Cooper did I just see you make out with some guy on TV!_

“Veronica? How are you even calling this number?”

 

The night from there was something no one could have expected.  

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from Archie's POV

“Jughead you can’t just sit around and do nothing all day. It’s New Year’s Eve man!”

_No Archie. I already told you that this is my one day off and I plan on relaxing and doing nothing with my day._

_“_ Jug I got us a hook up for tickets to the party of the year. I’m not leaving you to brood alone in our apartment all night!” 

_Sorry, Arch. Maybe next year._

Archie then was met with the dial tone of Jughead hanging up on him. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” She asked rubbing his back in a comforting way. 

“Jughead is staying home tonight. I keep trying to get him out but he isn’t the most social person and especially on New Year’s, he has some bad memories linked to the night.” He told his girlfriend of four months. 

“Have you introduced him to my friend yet?”

“No. I’m waiting for the right time.” 

“No time like the present Archiekins.” She said kissing his cheek before standing up from the bed. Even for mid-afternoon, she hadn’t changed from his dress shirt he had worn the night before. 

“I was hoping for a spontaneous meeting like in the elevator or something but that only happens in the movies.” He spoke as she went into her walk-in closet and begun to change into a more business casual look.

“That’s the romantic in you talking. Call him again in a few hours and invite him to daddy’s party. Maybe he will be more in the mood.” She said now changed and began to slip on her heels. 

“Now remember dinner is at six and the party starts at nine. We will leave after an hour or so and meet with everyone at the bar.” 

“Yeah, and you wrote it on a note on a piece of paper in my pocket and it is in my reminders. You don’t have to worry about me Ronnie, I will be there.” He said standing up to meet her at her dresser to kiss her. 

After he walked her to a cab outside her apartment he decided to head back to his apartment. He had been dating Veronica for about four months after meeting her at a party for her father’s company that he performed at. The two had hit it off right away and he had been taken by her ever since. 

She lived in an apartment in SoHo so he didn’t have a very far walk back to his in the Lower East Side. He shared an apartment with his childhood best friend who he had gone to Penn State and eventually the city together. They were more than best friends they were brothers.

She had only lived in her new place for about a month when her high school best friend was let loose by her parents financially and had to move to an apartment in the same building as them. 

She was the friend they thought would be a good fit for Jughead. She was pretty, blonde, peppy and sweet who had dealt with a lot at a young age, which was perfect for the dark haired, broody, sarcastic male. The only thing left was for them to meet. 

 

-.-.-

 

Archie arrived at the apartment building to find the elevator out of service. So he took the stairs up to the fifth-floor apartment. He was surprised to find Jughead gone but he was so cold from his walk that he decided to take a warm shower before calling about the party. 

After showering and warming up he was still surprised that his roommate wasn’t home. He had tried calling him but it went straight to voicemail. 

Checking the clock he saw that it was approaching time for him to leave to meet Veronica and her parents at dinner. So he changed into his pre-approved outfit for the night and headed for the stairs as the elevator was still broken. He got to the street level and went to the subway stop knowing that it was the best way to get to the expensive venue where the dinner and party were to be held. 

 

-.-.-

 

He arrived on time and put on his best smile as he was introduced to the Lodges. They were one of the richest newer families in the city. Her grandfather had started Lodge Industries as a young man and passed it down to his son who would pass it down to his own child, Veronica. 

 

-.-.-

 

The dinner went by smoothly and they moved to the party where Veronica was forced to make an appearance at. The two of them shook hands with half of the room before getting their chance to escape. It had taken a lot longer than planned and it was already 11:15 pm. The two of them rushed to try and get to the bar where some of Veronica’s actual friends were celebrating the new year. They had met Archie before and he enjoyed their company over the rich and fake people at the company party. 

“Archie and Ronnie are here!” A tall guy named Moose said as he gave them a huge bear hug. He was obviously drunk but he was like a giant teddy bear that had his girlfriend to take care of him. 

The couple sat down at the bar and ordered a round of champagne as it was already 11:35 pm. 

“Has anyone seen Betty on yet?” Veronica said to her friend Reggie from high school.

“No, they went to her spot a couple of times but had to cut because she wasn’t there or something.” 

“What? That doesn’t sound like Betty. She lives for reporting.” 

“She also didn’t pick up her phone when we called. I hope she’s okay.” Reggie said taking a drink of his beer. Apparently, everyone from their small town loved Betty and cared for her like she was their own sister. 

The group talked about their lives and what rumors had been shared about people they knew. Reggie had been dating their friend Josie on and off since high school and apparently was thinking about proposing soon. Josie was apart of a small town girl group that made it big and were currently on tour. They were the talk of the small town for a while until their classmates had graduated and made names for themselves as well. 

Reggie owned the sports bar they were at, Moose was a second-string NFL player, Veronica had her family company, and Betty was about to have her big break, or that’s what Veronica kept telling her. 

It was 11:50 pm when the blonde girl finally made her appearance on the TV’s placed all around the bar.

“This is Elizabeth Cooper reporting live from Time Square. We are less than ten minutes away from the new year. We will be live until then.”

The group of friends cheered loudly when she spoke. Between the ten or so people allowed in the bar that night for the closed event, it would be impossible to say who had cheered the loudest. 

They watched as she talked to different people. She made their stories interesting and made the interviewee feel comfortable when talking to her. 

They watched as she would get distracted by something off camera that made her blush. 

They watched as she leads the people at home through the countdown up until the last ten seconds when everyone focused on their own lives. 

“Three, two, one! Happy New Year!” the city cheered together. 

Archie leaned over and kissed Veronica. 

The two smiled at each other knowing this year was already off to a better start than the last. 

Veronica looked around at her friends and gave a toast.

“To friendship. I love you all and am so glad I moved to that small town of pep. I just wish Betty was here to celebrate with us.” 

“Uh, I think she is good where she is at,” Reggie said pointing to one of the TVs.

They all turned to look at the TV to see their friend kissing some guy. 

“Who the fuck is that?” Veronica said venomously. 

“That’s Jughead,” Archie said surprised at the sight of his friend kissing a girl.

Everyone watched as the two continued to make out on public television. 

“Archie give me your phone.” 

He handed her his iPhone with no question and watched as she searched through his contacts until she dialed the number she needed. 

The camera cut out as the two continued to kiss. The screen went to a commercial as everyone in the bar was in shock. 

_Hello?_

_“Put Betty on.”_

_Uh, it’s for you._

_Hello?_

“Betty Cooper did I just see you make out with some guy on TV!”

_Veronica? How are you even calling this number?_

“Archie is practically Jughead’s brother. You know that tall glass of water you were making out with on television! What if your mom sees that?”

_Then she does. I honestly don’t care what anyone thinks. So if you don’t mind I really want to get back to making out now._

“No, wait,” Archie said taking his phone from his shocked girlfriend. “Can you put Jughead on?” 

_It’s for you._

_Hello?_

“Jug it’s Arch.” 

_Oh hey man._

“You remember that girl I told you I’ve been dating? Well turns out she and all of her friends around me just watched you two on the news. We really could use an explanation.” 

_Okay. Where are you at?_

He listened to his friend sigh as he said something to the girl he couldn’t hear. 

“Tell Betty to go to Reggie’s bar. I’ll see you then.” 

He hung up the phone before they could answer. 

“Now we just wait.” He said to his still shocked girlfriend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to mainly Jughead's POV

_No, wait, Can you put Jughead on?_

“It’s for you.” She said handing him the phone. 

“Hello?” 

_Jug it’s Arch._

“Oh hey man.” He said casually as the blonde went back to kissing him.

_You remember that girl I told you I’ve been dating? Well turns out she and all of her friends around me just watched you two on the news. We really could use an explanation._

He sighed disappointedly at the change in plans “Okay. Where are you at?”

“Betty we have to stop. I really don’t want to but-“ He said to the girl as he tried to listen to the phone. 

_Tell Betty to go to Reggie’s bar. I’ll see you then._

He was pulled from the bubble the two had created at the sound of the dial tone. 

“Shit.” He said causing Betty to stop kissing the spot on his neck she was focused on. 

“What is it.” 

“Apparently we have to go meet your friends at some bar named after some guy  named Reggie.” 

She giggled at him. “My friend Reggie from home owns a bar here. That’s where I would be if not reporting tonight.” 

She sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder dramatically. “Well, they will only keep calling if we don’t go there. I understand if you don’t want to I mean they can be a lot and not everyone can handle that and-“ 

He kissed her again. This time short and sweet. “You were rambling.” He said smiling. 

“That was a good way to shut me up.” He then took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. The two of them made their way through the crowds eventually. 

They had walked by two fights and one crazy homeless man. 

“See a war zone.” He whispered to her which caused her to laugh. 

 

-.-.-

 

The two eventually made it to the bar. It only took them two wrong subway lines and help from one cop before they ended up in front of the bar door. 

“Ready to enter the belly of the beast?” 

“My friends are a bit intense. Especially after a few drinks, so I’m apologizing in advance.” She said as she played with the bracelet on her wrist. 

The two of them then took the leap and went inside. It was an average sports bar, but instead of sports fans, it was filled with Betty’s friends from her hometown. 

 

“ELIZABETH COOPER!” Veronica yelled as soon as she saw her friend enter the bar. She was obviously a bit tipsy and had a glass in her hand that spilled on the floor as she walked over to the blonde. Archie wasn’t far behind her. 

“Hey man,” Jughead said smiling at his friend. “Happy New Year.” 

Archie looked shocked as he had never heard those words come out Jughead’s mouth. “Uh yeah man you too.” He leaned in closer so only his friend could hear him.  "Are you feeling okay?”

Jughead just looked at the blonde next to him and smiled. “Never better.” 

The two of them eventually calmed Veronica down enough to explain their night together. Between her random outburst and squeals, they told them the basics while being careful enough to not share the personal details they learned about each other. 

Archie had never seen his best friend so happy in his life. He had stayed attached to the blonde with his arm around her waist as she talked to a few of her old friends. 

 

They stayed at the bar until about 2 am when Reggie decided to close up. The two girls gave hugs to all of their old friends and made promises to make plans sometime. Soon it was just the four of them on the sidewalk outside of the place. 

“B we have to have brunch tomorrow morning. Let’s say ten o’clock at the usual, and bring him along as well.” She said pointing to Jughead. 

She then kissed the girl on the cheek saying goodbye before walking over the Archie who was holding a cab door open for her. 

“See ya guys,” Archie said as he got into the cab leaving the two of them alone on the street. 

“Shall we?” He said holding his hand out towards her. She took it with ease and they began walking towards the apartment complex. The bar was located in the East Village so the walk wasn’t far, just cold.  He asked her questions about her childhood and Riverdale to distract her from the chilling air. 

 

They soon got to the apartment complex and decided to take the stairs. They would both probably avoid the elevator for some time.

They approached her door first, they stood there just smiling at each other. 

“Thanks for walking me home.” 

“Yeah well, it was on my way.” He said shrugging his shoulders. She just laughed before leaning in to kiss him.   

“I actually had fun tonight, so thank you.” He said quietly leaning his forehead against hers.

“Well, you can continue the fun by taking me out again. Maybe somewhere that doesn’t involve elevators.” She said smiling at him. 

He then leaned in to kiss her again.

“No promises.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I edited myself so feedback is appreciated, so please comment and kudos :)   
> Hope you have a happy New Year!


End file.
